Strong flu season expected alongside continued cases of COVID, monkeypox

JACKSON, Tenn. — As we enter flu season amid continued cases of COVID-19 and rising cases of monkeypox in the U.S., experts are urging you to take the steps to stay healthy.

The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health hosted a media briefing providing ways to protect yourself against the infectious diseases.

After seeing a strong flu season in the Southern Hemisphere, doctors say its important for Americans to accept the flu vaccine this year.

And with an ever-changing environment, you should be prepared to adapt your precautionary measures as necessary.

“Remember all of the mitigation strategies that you can layer up or down as the transmission changes during the upcoming months so that you can best protect yourself, your family, and your community,” said Keri Althoff, PhD, MPH.

Experts remind that updated COVID-19 vaccine boosters are now available to those ages 12 and up, and a vaccine for monkeypox is currently available to high-risk groups.

Johns Hopkins also provided the following resources for more information:

• Will the Coronavirus Evolve to Be Milder [Opinion]
• “Public Health On Call” Podcast: An Update on Omicron Subvariants with Andy Pekosz
• Risk of Breakthrough COVID-19 Infection After Vaccination Higher Among People with HIV
• “Public Health On Call” Podcast: Back to School: COVID, New CDC Guidance, Monkeypox, and More with Keri Althoff and Liz Stuart 
• Monitoring the Monkeypox Response
• Monkeypox Outbreak Expert Panel: Testing, Containment, Vaccines, and More
• An Update on Omicron Subvariants 
• Center for Health Security – Monkeypox Updates
• Dean’s Lecture with Tom Inglesby: Lessons from COVID-19 and Planning for Future Pandemics
• Johns Hopkins Offers New Free Virtual Course on Infectious Disease Transmission Models for Decision Makers

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